The kick-off ceremony will open a three-day festival of sports, family activities, musical performances, and celebrations of African culture, which will be held at Military Park in Newark’s Downtown on Friday, July 31 and Sunday, August 2. On Saturday, August 1, the Newark African Commission will host an international soccer tournament involving teams from African, Caribbean, and other countries at Nat Turner Park, located at 251-289 18th Avenue (between Boyd Street and Muhammad Ali Avenue).

The Newark African Commission was sworn in by Mayor Cory A. Booker on August 1, 2007, as an initiative to promote policies and awareness of issues concerning the cultural, social, economic, political, educational, health, and general well-being of Africans and African-Americans in Newark.